Alone
by StormWolf10
Summary: Ninth in 'The Making of Theta Tyler' series. In which we discover a bit more about Tony's background and Theta's opinion of him.


**A/N: This is the ninth (and penultimate) instalment in 'The Making of Theta Tyler' series. Another character death here, but is non-explicit. Read and review :)**

Theta Tyler was sick of funerals. He had attended far too many of the damn things in his thirty years upon this Earth. In fact, he had attended six, all of them family members. Today, it would be made official, as the coffin was lowered into the ground beside the two gravestones that Theta visited often, that Theta Tyler was…Alone. The last of his family. Of course, there was his extended family, but even growing up Theta had never been close to any of them; his Mum had always found them a little too loud and overbearing, asking too many questions and making remarks about Theta's late Dad. Eventually, the vicar finished talking about how Tony Tyler had died on a Torchwood Field Mission, protecting the world from alien attacks. Sighing, Theta stood up stiffly, quietly relieved that he could finally leave the uncomfortable wooden pew. As the vicar announced that it was time to head outside, Theta stepped forward, ready to bear the weight of the coffin. The thirty year old had insisted on being a coffin bearer, much to his friends' shock. When questioned why, Theta replied simply:

"My Uncle Tony has done so much for me, just like my Dad did for him. He was one of my closest friends, he was always there for me, he was…I suppose, in a way, he was my Dad."

**~StormWolf10~**

As the grave was slowly filled in, Theta watched, misty-eyed. Most of the people at the funeral were work colleagues and friends of Tony's from Torchwood, along with a few of the Vitex staff- Tony had inherited the company when his Dad passed after Rose refused to take over the company. Alex was there too, partially because he had grown fond of his best friend's Uncle over the years, but mostly to offer support to his friend. Once the grave had been completely filled in, Theta raised his gaze slightly to stare at the marble tombstone.

_Here lies Tony John Tyler, November 7__th__ 2010- March 3__rd__ 2054. Died protecting the Earth, Taken too soon._

"Theta?" Alex prompted gently, reaching for his friend's shoulder.

"Can…Can you give me a few minutes? Alone?" Theta asked his friend shakily, not looking round.

"Yeah, sure," Alex told his friend quietly "I'll wait by the car, ok?"

Theta nodded, not really listening. He did, however, hear Alex walking away, and he waited until the footsteps had faded before he began to sob. As the tears rolled down his cheeks, Theta looked over at the two neighbouring tombstones, one belonging to his Grandma, and one his Granddad. He stayed there for several minutes before mentally shaking himself, wiping his tears away, and turning on his heels. Alex would be waiting for him.

**~StormWolf10~**

"Did you know," Theta began, taking another sip of beer. He was more than a little drunk now. "I can't _ever_ remember my Uncle Tony having a girlfriend?"

"Oh?" Alex replied politely as he drained his pint. He was beginning to think it was a bad idea taking Theta to the pub after Tony's funeral. "Never?"

"Nope, not once! I remember, when I was about fifteen, I was convinced- and I mean _convinced_- he was gay! I told Mum about it, I said "Mum," I said "I swear Uncle Tony's gay!" And she just sort of…_looked_ at me, like, she was trying to figure it out. And then she went to me, "Well, if your Uncle Tony doesn't want to talk about it, then don't go prying for answers. If he is- and I mean _if_, Theta- then he'll tell us in his own time." I kind of forgot about it for a few days after that, and _then_, that weekend, Uncle Tony turned up at our house at, like, two in the morning and he was _hammered_! Turned out, he'd gone out drinking the night before, and had locked himself out. Of course, he hadn't realised that until he couldn't get into his apartment after he'd snuck out of a girls flat! _Uncle Tony_! Had a _one night stand_! Well, that certainly told _us_ he wasn't gay!"

Theta laughed then, almost falling off his barstool in the process.

"Is that right?" Alex asked tiredly.

It was getting late, and he'd promised his partner Cara that he'd be home by now. Of course, that was before Theta had gotten drunk and begun regaling stories of his late Uncle. Alex sighed, pulling out his phone and beginning to text Cara, telling her he'd be late and to give Fischer and Rhea a goodnight kiss from their Daddy, seeing as they'd most certainly be asleep by the time he did eventually get home. Seeing Alex do this, Theta sighed, noticing the time.

"Go on, Al," Theta told him "get home to the missus and the kids."

"Are you sure, Theta?" Alex asked reluctantly "I don't really want to leave you here in this state."

"Nah, I'd better get going now anyway. Else I'll wake up in a gutter tomorrow. And I'd rather wake up alone in my house rather than in a gutter in a puddle of my own vomit while strangers gape at me," Theta replied, slipping off the stool.

**~StormWolf10~**

Alex had put Theta in a taxi and seen him off, although Theta's memory of that was rather hazy. He had just about managed to let himself into his house, stagger up the stairs and collapse onto his bed, not even bothering to remove his shoes. Theta had been almost certain that he'd be unable to sleep that night, instead be plagued by memories of his Uncle, like he had been after the funerals of his Gran, Granddad, Mum, wife and daughter. However, thanks to the alcohol he'd consumed that late, Theta quickly slipped into a dreamless slumber. For once, Theta Tyler was glad to be alone, even if it was just in his own dreams…


End file.
